it
would be all right. But it's esprit d'esprit. And it's absolutely
sickening the things they can do to your mind. I can't stand another
term of it.

Always your loving
MICK.
P.S.-How do you know I shan't be dead in ten or
fifteen years' time? It's enough to make me.

P.P.S.-It's all very well for Daddy to talk--_he_ doesn't want to learn
Chinese.

TUDOR HOUSE.
CHELTENHAM,
_Thursday_.

DEAR FATHER:

All right. Have it your own way. Only I shall kill myself. You needn't
tell Mother that--though it won't matter so much as she'll very likely
think. And perhaps then you won't try and stop Nicky going into the Army
as you've stopped me.

I don't care a "ram", as Nicky would say, whether you bury me or cremate
me; only you might give my Theocritus to old Parsons, and my revolver
to Nicky if it doesn't burst. He'd like it.

MICHAEL.

P.S.--If Parsons would rather have my _AEschylus_ he can, or both.

TUDOR HOUSE.
CHELTENHAM,
_Sunday_.

DARLING MUMMY:

It's your turn for a letter. Do you think Daddy'd let me turn the
hen-house into a workshop next holidays, as there aren't any hens? And
would he give me a proper lathe for turning steel and brass and stuff
for my next birthday I'm afraid it'll cost an awful lot; but he could
take it out of my other birthdays, I don't mind how many so long as I
can have the lathe this one.

This place isn't half bad once you get used to it. I like the fellows,
and all the masters are really jolly decent, though I wish we had old
Parsons here instead of the one we have to do Greek for. He's an awful
chap to make you swot.

I don't know what you mean about Mick being seedy. He's as fit as fit.
You should see him when he's stripped. But he hates the place like
poison half the time. He can't stand being with a lot of fellows. He's a
rum chap because they all like him no end, the masters and the fellows,
though they think he's funny, all except Hartley major, but he's such a
measly little blighter that he doesn't count.

We had a ripping time last Saturday. Bartie went up to town, and Major
Cameron took Dorothy and Ronny and Vera and me and Mick to Birdlip in
his dog-cart, only Mick and me had to bike because there wasn't room
enough. However we grabbed the chains behind and the dog-cart pulled us
up the hills like anything, and we could talk to Dorothy and Ronny
without having to yell at each oth